5.  Internally.—­Dip your clean moistened finger tip into dry bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), rub this gently on the sore tonsil and repeat it every hour.  You can also put one teaspoonful of it in one-half glass of very hot water and gargle if you do not use it locally.

6.  Hot Water.—­Gargling frequently with very hot water is splendid.  If you wish you can use one teaspoonful of some antiseptic, like listerine, in it.

7.  Thyme.—­You can make a tea of the common garden thyme and gargle or rinse your mouth and throat with it every half to one hour.  This is not only healing and soothing, but it is also antiseptic.  This is a constituent of many of the antiseptic preparations.

8.  Steaming With Compound Tincture of Benzoin.—­Tincture of benzoin is splendid.  Put one tablespoonful in a quart of hot water and inhale the steam.  Put a sheet over your head and pitcher; or put it in a kettle, and roll white writing paper into a funnel, tie one part over the spout and put the other end in your mouth if possible; or you can inhale simple steam in the same way.  I know this is excellent and often recommended; everyone has it, and it costs literally nothing, except to heat the water.

9.  For the Pain.—­Dissolve two drams of chloral hydrate in an ounce of water, use a camel’s hair pencil if you have it, or a soft piece of cloth tied on a smooth stick, and apply directly to the diseased parts.  This is for older persons, relieves the pain very much.  There are many other simple remedies that can be used in this way.

[190 Mothers’ remedies]

10.  Medicines.  Parke, Davis & Co., Anti-Tonsilitis Tablet No. 645 is very good.  This can be bought at any drug store.  For a child give one-half a tablet every two hours for four doses, then every three hours.  An adult can take one to two every one to three hours according to the severity of the case.

11.  Aspirin.—­Aspirin is another good remedy; five grains every four hours for an adult; but used only under doctor’s directions.

12.  Dr. Hare of Philadelphia, uses 1/200 grain mercurius biniodide (pink powder) every four to six hours to abort tonsilitis.  I would recommend the following:—­Give one-tenth drop dose of a good tincture of aconite and 1/200 grain of the mercury biniodide (one to two tablets a dose) every hour, alternately, one of them one hour and the next, etc.  If there is much deposit I would put ten tablets of mercury protoiodide (one-tenth of a grain in a tablet) in one-half glass of water and give two teaspoonfuls every hour until the bowels move freely, then every three to four hours.  The aconite can be used if there is much fever, with hot, dry skin, alternately everyone-half hour.  I prefer the pink powder when there is no deposit or membrane.  These I have used for years, and know them to be excellent.  For children the dose is about one-half.  After twelve hours the remedies should be given only every three to four hours.